


oh glory

by huntingforsport



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternative Universe - Mermaid, Amamatsu - Freeform, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Gay Kaito Momota, Gay Shuichi Saihara, M/M, Mermaid Akamatsu Kaede, Prince Momota Kaito, Prince Saihara Shuichi, Princess Akamatsu Kaede, Royalty AU, Sailor Amami Rantaro, Saimota - Freeform, mermaid! kaede, more tags will be added, no Nsfw, prince! kaito, prince! shuichi, princess! kaede, shuichi and keebo are brothers btw, theyre minors wtf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27131804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huntingforsport/pseuds/huntingforsport
Summary: arranged in marriage against their will - prince shuichi and princess kaede know practically nothing about one another. they do know one thing, though; they aren’t doing this. so what can they do ?
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Amami Rantaro, Momota Kaito/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> saimota... chef kiss  
> medieval au... that’s a spicy meetaball *chef kiss*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shuichi receives a letter that he’s not pleased to read.

shuichi's sigh was laced with frustration as he lay in his king sized bed. a letter in one hand, the other balled in a fist - he almost wanted to scream. but he couldn’t, he knew there was no point. 

the letter - in short - read as follows:

_ Dearest Son Shuichi, _

_ We’re forcing you into a marriage! With a girl you don’t know! And you can’t object because we’ve seen you fumbling with other boys, we don’t want you to be murdered! And can you imagine the talk, the prince of the kingdom being a homosexual? Our heads would be gone with the snap of a finger! _

_ Love (not), Your Parents _

shuichi was tempted to throw the paper out of his window, tempted to rip it up and throw it so it could float with the air. and while  _ tempted _ , he just continued to lay. 

who even  _ is _ princess akamatsu??? he’d never heard of the woman in his life - although apparently her kingdom wasn’t far. he then groaned in frustration - why did it even  _ matter _ ? 

shuichi had always been quite used to get pushed around and told what to do - because as prince that’s basically all you do - but this situation felt so different. this… this was something he knew he needed at least a  _ say _ in, an option to say no. 

but alas, prince shuichi saihara did not get this option. instead he’d be marrying some lousy princess so that their kingdoms could come together as one. 

  
  


shuichi ended up throwing the letter out his window.

**

kaede was equally upset - if not  _ more  _ upset. 

kaede longed to be on land, something she had wanted as far back as she can remember… but not in the situation of being forced into a marriage. she wanted to explore, she wanted to interact… she didn’t want the same life she had underwater if she was going on dry land. 

maybe that’s what frustrated her most. kaede always assumed that once she was married, she could finally escape this underwater palace and live a normal life. and while this would be some what true… she’d still be cooped up in some crusty dusty old palace - just on land and likely much less clean. 

she punched the air - or water - in frustration. her last chance to escape was now just another fail. she had to find some other way… some other way….


	2. the fish and the sailor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kaede thinks about living on land

being told to stay underwater your whole life was normal for that of a sea creature, and kaede was no exception. so being forced to marry a  _ land creature _ seemed pretty out of the ordinary, not to mention that this is a land creature whom she doesn’t know. 

despite her fathers strict rule of staying under water (until recent), there were just times where kaedes curiosity got the best of her. 

nightfall was always the best time to observe land creatures, therefore it was a good time to swim above water. kaede always loved the feeling of the cool wind on her face - but what she loved most was seeing a large ship ride back and forth, always booming with light. 

the ship itself was fascinating to kaede, but even more was the cute sailor boy. he was tall - maybe taller than kaede - and he had somewhat shaggy light green hair. and for the time being, kaede would just  _ watch _ him. 

maybe some day she’d actually get close enough to talk to the boy, but she figured for now that she should keep her distance - and she only thought this because of her father's strict rule. 

this marriage could have its quirks. getting used to being on land could be fun, but kaede was also almost 100% sure that the green haired sailor boy lived within the kingdom that she’d soon be part of. 

so she sat in thought of the positives of this situation, transitioning to land. 


	3. stuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shuichi meets up with a friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i read a fic the other day with a hc of keebo and shuichi as brothers and i quite like the hc! so, they’re brothers lol

shuichi was disrespecting his parents wishes yet again, thankfully he had his brother keebo cover for him. as much as his brother didn’t want him to sneak out, he knew how badly shuichi wanted to see his commoner friend. 

**

“i mean, there’s so much  _ power _ in having two king’s. just  _ saying _ it alone has so much power!” shuichi explained to the boy sitting across from him. the boy - rantaro amami - just laughed in response. 

“i can't disagree, two kings would be quite the sight to see - quite the change. i’m sure i’d enjoy it, though.” 

“exactly. and a gay king would be much more powerful than,” shuichi struggled to find the phrase he was looking for, at least the smarter version of it. “more powerful than an old crusty king.” this made both boys giggle.

“who would even want to rule this dumb kingdom anyways… it’s quite boring,” shuichi sighed. 

“sounds quite enjoyable to me.” rantaro replied. “but maybe i only think that because i’m a commoner, unlike you.”

“it gets boring when you’re constantly grounded for being a homosexual.” 

“i’d imagine. still, being able to live up in the castle, order everyone to do as you please… even the view from the castle, it all must be amazing…” rantaro rested his chin on his hand as he spoke, wondering how amazing it would be to be in shuichi's position.

“again, it’s quite boring. especially when it’s just been your life…” 

“i’d do anything to switch places with you,” rantaro spoke softly. “but at the same time, i don’t think i would. your life seems so luxurious, yet you seem to hate it. maybe even loathe it.”

“i  _ do _ loathe it,” shuichi replied. “there’s no freedom. i can't hang out with friends when i want - i has to sneak out to come see you today. but hell, i can’t even leave my own room when i want. i cant marry who i want either, but that’s because being gay isn’t seen as elegant in the eyes of royalty.” shuichi slouched in his seat and sighed. “princess kaede might be nice, but we’ve never met. i’m also gay. and she probably has her eyes on someone else…”

“you can’t think of any way to get out of this? maybe a way to work your way around it?” rantaro asked, seeingly deep in thought. 

“nothing that comes to mind. i’m just  _ stuck _ .”

rantaro continued to think. ‘ _ there has to be something…’  _

“so the way it works is that you become king once your old man is dead, right?” rantaro asked, to which shuichi nodded yes. “it could be timely… but once he’s gone, you’re free to make your own rules - make things how you see fit. separate from kaede, change the laws about homosexuality. you’re set.”

shuichi's eyes widened. “how come i never thought of that…” he whispered. “you’re a genius, rantaro!”

“oh, i’m not genius. just letting you know the obvious when you’re not thinking right.” rantaro said with a smile, as shuichi shook in excitement. they just say there, both seemingly content with their futures. 


	4. disrespect.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kaede sneaks out to see a land creature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just finished v3 so i’m still a little rusty on reality and stuff but i quite like the idea of kaede having a twin sister so i involved it here lol

“it’s just… all our lives we get told ‘ _you’re gonna marry a merman or a fishman or just - some sort of sea creature! and you’ll_ **_never_ ** _leave the water!_ ’ and now _i’m_ stuck marrying some mouth breather land creature that i don’t know!” kaede vented in frustration. 

“but you were never fond of those rules in the first place?” keiko - kaedes twin sister - questioned, playing with her sister's hair. “besides, don’t you have your eyes on a sailor boy?”

“well, _yeah_ ,” kaede sighs, “but if father finds that out, only poseidon knows what’ll happen to me. i’d be in _so_ _much_ trouble.”

“well i’m sure prince shuichi isn’t very pleased either. you two haven’t even met.”

“exactly!” kaede groans in frustration, her palms resting on her closed eyes. “ _i don’t know him!_ ”

the sisters sat in silence for a moment, kaede keeping her hands on her face and keiko continuing to play with her hair. 

“... wanna go see if the sailor boy is out on his ship?” keiko asked, a small smile on her face.

kaede thought for a moment, then moved her hands back to her sides. “sure, why not.”

after successfully sneaking out of the underwater palace (something that kaede has come to master) they swam to the surface, searching for the large ship. it wasn’t hard to spot, glowing in the now periwinkle sky. the sun was setting, and the wind was blowing - of course the ship would be out tonight. kaede felt her excitement grow, her heart starting to beat faster. 

“look, he’s standing on the bowsprit!” kaede said, smiling as she viewed the tall green haired boy. she sighed; “don’t you wish you could go up there and just… interact?”

“not me, but,” keiko gave her sister a light shove, “i’ll leave you to it. do you even know his name?”

kaede shook her head. “no, we’ve only ever exchanged glances. he knows i’m out here, just like i know he’s up there.” the boy turned, he waved at kaede. she waved back. 

“like i said, ill leave you to it. go try to talk to him, get his name!” keiko said, giving her sister's shoulder a squeeze before swimming off. 

kaede was slightly nervous by her sisters sudden disappearance, but she swam towards the ship. the boy spotted this, quickly trying to find a place where they could communicate. the sailor boy eventually hopped onto a row boat attached to the ship. 

“what are you doing out here this evening, sailor boy?” kaede asked. 

“well, miss mermaid, it’s friday - and every friday i try to get all of my sisters out of the house. the air is always cool, and the sun always sets perfectly. and since our father is a craftsman for the king and his specialty is ships, we usually take a ship out for a spin.” he smiled. 

“well, i’m not one of your sisters, so… why are you spending your time down here?” kaede asked, trying to sound confused but failing as the smile she was holding back poked through quite obviously. 

“i find you interesting,” he started, “i see you come out every time i’m out on a ship, and you just sit back and watch. i figured since i got your attention, now is better than never.”

“i think you’re interesting, too. why do you think i’m watching all the time?” both giggled at that. 

“can i get your name?” the sailor boy asked once the giggles had died down. 

“i’m kaede akamatsu, princess of the sea! but you can just call me kaede.” 

“and i’m rantaro amami, prince of… well, _nothing_. you can just call me rantaro.” 

kaede was silent for a moment. “i like it. it suits you,” kaede smiled and sighed. “i’d kill to be princess of nothing.”

“well, i think you suite the princess description quite well - and i mean that in the best way possible,” rantaro says, smiling. kaede let out a small chuckle. 

they talked for another hour or so as the sun was setting. the sun was down and the stars were shining bright when kaede realized how much more trouble she could be in for being out so late. 

“i have to go,” she said frantically. 

“will i see you tomorrow?” rantaro seemed to be holding his breath as he asked this.

kaede paused then looked at rantaro with a smile. “of course.” and with that, kaede swam with speed while rantaro climbed a rope to reach the deck of the ship. 

“where’d you go?” one of his sisters asked. rantaro jumped at her voice, almost falling off the ship. 

“i was just… looking at the fish,” he said, collecting himself and then ruffling his sisters hair, his face pink and warm still after talking to kaede. 

**

kaede swam with absolute speed. curfew was nothing but a second thought when she was with rantaro - she’d be in _huge_ trouble if she was caught this time. 

quietly sneaking through the underwater palace, kaede eventually found herself in her room - exhausted from her fast pace that was only minutes ago. she sighed in relief and fatigue as she lay on her bed. 

“back so soon?” she heard. 

oh no. 

it was him. 

her _father_.

“father, i can explain,” kaede started. 

“oh really? i’d _love_ to hear _today’s_ excuse.”

“father, please, let me-”

“ _no,_ ” he stated firmly. “i _know_ you were seeing one of the craftsman’s sons, the one who crafts ships for king saihara… even though i _forbid you from doing so._ ”

“it’s not like he’s some sort of _threat_ , why-”

“kaede - i’m _tired of you arguing with me_ . i am your _father_ . you will _respect_ my wishes, and those are to marry prince saihara,” king akamatsu said. he seemed very much fed up. 

“i don’t even know him!” kaede yelled in frustration. 

“i’m just doing what’s best for you.”

“well, this obviously isn’t-”

“and why’s that?”

“because i’m not happy. you were happy when you married mother, and she wasn’t even a princess-”

“ _DON’T_ bring your mother into this,” king akamatsu boomed, readying to leave kaedes room. “if i catch you seeing the craftsman’s son _again_ , you’ll be punished by being _locked_ in this palace until your arranged wedding day.” and with that, king akamatsu slammed kaedes door shut as he left. 

kaede grabbed a pillow, screaming into it in frustration. “ _why can’t he understand!_ ”

she cried herself to sleep that night, out of both sadness and frustration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my sister kept asking what i was doing while i was writing this and i kept trying to cover it up because what am i supposed to tell her??? that i’m writing elaborate danganronpa fanfiction?????? i cant do that!!!!!!! anyways now she thinks i’m trying to hide something (which is somewhat true)


	5. the meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prince shuichi and princess kaede finally meet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we will ignore that it has been a while since i posted the last chapter. i have been caught up in school work lol

the day finally came for the prince and princess to meet. neither were thrilled - in fact, both were dreading having to meet one another.

regardless, both were still forced to dress up and look their best for each other. shuichi dressed in a frilly black lace up front top with black slacks to match, meanwhile kaede dressed in a floor length lavender gown - it wasn’t big and poofy, kaede much preferred the minimalist dress approach. it still had frills and separated pieces, the dress itself just stuck more to kaede. 

she thought it looked much better in human form, which she had to switch to in order to function on land. her father had joined her, only to drop her off. he looked much more like kaede on land than he did in water, instead of sporting green scales all over his body he just looked average. 

as they reached the steps that would lead to the entrance of the land castle, kaedes father stayed behind. “this is where we part ways, for now. i’ll send a guard to come get you later. be good.” his words dripped with menace, but it didn’t seem to have much effect of kaede. she hugger her father, then left to enter the castle. 

having now knocked three times, kaede was determined to knock again when the door shot open. one guard was holding the door, there was another standing by, and standing near the standing guard was prince shuichi. 

“ah, u-um… it’s a pleasure to meet you,” shuichi said, remembering what he was taught and grabbing kaedes hand to kiss it. despite it being ‘proper etiquette’, he never did enjoy it. 

“likewise,” kaede said, pulling her hand away slowly to not seem rude. 

the silence following was awkward and, well,  _ silent _ . it made both teenagers quite uncomfortable. they were brought to a table, they were sat down, and the whole time they were silent. they were left to sit in silence for a moment longer until:

“i can’t believe we have to do this…” kaede said. and although quiet, the room itself was silent enough that shuichi heard her with ease. 

“neither can i,” shuichi said softly, his words laced in disappointment. but then he remembered the conversation he had with rantaro. his voice lowered to that of a whisper; “we can’t talk about it now, but… i have a loose plan.”

kaede cocked an eyebrow at this, but nodded and continued to sit in silence.

the two were served, they ate, and small talk was exchanged while both eagerly waited to be alone to discuss this plan. 

they finished, and shuichi led kaede up to the highest point of the castle. shuichi was huffing and puffing, trying to catch his breath while kaede was gasping at the sight she was seeing. 

“i… i’ve never seen a view like this,” kaede said, mesmerized.

“i’d imagine you can’t get a view like this under water,” shuichi said as he finally caught his breath. 

kaede let herself bask in the glory of the sunset, absorbing all the warmth that she could from the air alone. sure - the water was her home and truly where she felt she belonged, but sometimes life on land seems so admirable. so peaceful. 

“you said you wanted to talk about something, right?” kaede asked, knowing that if she stared any longer that she’d turn into a statue of some sorts. 

“right! well…” shuichi sat in thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to word his thoughts. “we both want out of this arrangement, right? i know i want out, and you don’t seem thrilled.”

“i’m really not. my father says he’s only trying to do what’s best for me, but this isn’t what i want,” kaede started to think of rantaro. “surely what i want is what’s best for me, isn’t it? and i want to be with someone i know.”

“some of that logic is… questionable. but i won’t argue because i guess i feel the same way. and technically there  _ is _ a way where we can both get our way,” shuichi tried to seem much more serious as he spoke. “once we’re in the thrones, we’re free to do as we please - make our own rules and decisions.”

kaede cocked her eyebrow yet again. “well obviously… why didn’t i think of that?” she started to smile wide. “we can just do whatever we want?”

“exactly! one catch, and this catch is why the plan is loose: we need to wait for the open spot of king and queen, my parents need to be dead. so, it’ll be a bit of a lengthy process, but… i think it’ll be worth it,” shuichi spoke with confidence, hoping that the last bit wouldn’t change kaedes thoughts. 

“well… there isn’t really any other thing we can do, right?” kaede said with a chuckle. “it sounds like a plan to me!”

the two smiled gleefully at each other, sharing chuckles. they continued, then suddenly kaede pulled shuichi into a hug. 

“we just met and you’re already being so thoughtful. i know this is partially for your sake, but… it’s nice to know that even though we’re strangers, you were thinking about me,” kaede said softly. “now i’ll be able to be with who i want, and you will too!”

“yeah…” shuichi said in a content sigh. 

he should probably tell her now. 

“one last thing, kaede,” shuichi said, pulling away from the hug. kaedes face was still sparkling with joy, shuichi was nervous for the outcome of what he’d say next. “i’m gay.”

she just pulled him into a hug. “yeah i kinda figured.”


	6. another introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> an old friend enters the picture, coming to visit the saiharas for the upcoming wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ackk sorry it’s been so long, i hope this chap is beefy enough to make up for it

tall, tan, and handsome - this is how most would describe prince kaito momota. 

the aged king and queen, and of course their grandson kaito, rode silently in their carriage to the kingdom that the saiharas ruled. as they sat in the tight spaced carriage, all three momotas could only dwell on memories from the past. 

the two kingdoms (more specifically the two families that ruled them) were always tightly bonded, but the bond was much stronger when kaitos parents were still alive and well. kaito didn’t like thinking about that - _his parents_.

kaito _did_ enjoy thinking about the descendents of the saiharas, though - keebo and shuichi, but more shuichi than keebo. kaito had a much stronger bond with the dark haired boy when they were younger; he wondered if their friendship would still hold up after all these years. 

kaitos grandparents just reminisced of seeing their daughter and son-in-law. kaito was always a light of sunshine to the darkness of their thoughts, but sometimes he just wasn’t enough. 

“it’s been so long since we’ve seen the saiharas. why… i believe the last time we saw them was around… was around…” his grandfather had started. 

“around your mother and fathers wedding,” his grandmother finished, looking at kaito. she then turned to her husband, “but kaito has seen them much more recently, has he not?” she asked. 

“i wouldn’t say recently… i was only a boy the last i saw the saiharas.” kaito said, the smallest hint of a chuckle in his voice. 

“hmm… i’m sure they’ll be delighted to see what a fine young man you’ve become.” kaitos grandmother then closed her eyes and relaxed in the carriage, as if she were planning on falling asleep. 

“a fine young man who can’t settle on a wife…” kaito tensed slightly at his words. it wasn’t a conversation if kaitos grandfather hadn’t gotten the last word, and of course it had to do with kaitos marital status. 

“oh, let the boy be for once. he seemed happy to see the saiharas, and then you opened your mouth.” kaitos grandmother had only opened one eye while speaking to her husband. 

kaito just sat silently in thought after that, after hearing his grandmother's last statement. it was partially true, he was happy to be seeing the saiharas. but something that’s been eating inside of him has caused him to never reach full happiness. 

he’s gay. and absolutely _no one_ knows.

**

by sunset, the carriage of momotas had arrived to the kingdom the saiharas ruled over - more specifically at the castle of the saiharas. 

they were greeted by the king, queen, and two princes as they opened the carriage. kaito felt his face warm up - he’d not yet even interacted with shuichi and he was already getting flustered. 

“nice to see you again, kaito,” shuichi said, extending his hand so kaito could shake. he felt his face get warmer as he hesitated to grab shuichi's hand. 

“likewise,” kaito said, his voice cracking.

shuichi pointed at the adults and his younger brother. “they’ll probably keep each other busy for a while… want to go hang out? like old times?”

kaito hesitated, looking at his grandparents. 

‘ _they’ll be fine,_ ’ he thought. 

“if by _old times_ you mean playing pirates, that’d be a little odd…” a smirk arose on kaitos face as he spoke - and after a small shove from shuichi, they started to walk around the castle. 

the exchanged small talk as they strolled, simple things like ‘how have you been’ and ‘how’s the kingdom.’ kaito saw all the rooms on the ground floor with an almost comforting sense of deja vu, but shuichi kept talking of a surprise that left him on his toes - so maybe that was the comforting feeling. 

they approached a stairwell, and although he wanted to question it, kaito just followed. 

kaito hated the silence ringing in his ears as he followed shuichi, so he broke it. “so… how does it feel to be getting married in a few days?” 

shuichi stayed silent but only for a moment. “horrible.” his tone made him sound upset, yet at the same time he was monotone. 

“...how? surely you love the bride-to-be, don’t you?”

“i didn’t know who she was until a few days ago, we’d never properly met,” shuichi started, trying not to get upset. “it’s not even like we were friends before any of this happened, we were just told that this is how it’s going to be. so no, i don’t love her.”

“oh,” kaito paused, “that’s… awful. i’m really sorry.” he tried to look away as not to show the nervous look he wore. he just ruined everything, didn’t he? 

“don’t be, it’s not your fault. besides… we’re here!” shuichi's tone was much lighter and filled with excitement, the door at the top of the stairwell only a few steps away. 

shuichi opened it, and as kaito walked out he noticed that he could see every bit of the kingdom. the two boys were at the highest point of the castle. 

“i don’t really find beauty in this view anymore, but i thought you’d like it.” shuichi's smile was warm, and his eyes sparkled in a way that made kaitos heart race - and in that moment, kaito realized something. 

he has feelings for shuichi. there’s just this overwhelming sense of trust he has - kaito felt _safe._ he felt _welcomed_ . he felt like he could be _his true self_. 

“shuichi,” he paused. is he really about to do this? he held his breath; “i’m gay.”

shuichi looked shocked at first, but then smiled. “me too.”


End file.
